Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Santa Ana to Charlotte. The right side delivers the most dramatic single moment of the flight — the Pacific Ocean, Newport Beach coastline, and Catalina Island on departure. The left side has a solid Charlotte approach, but the takeoff view from the right is more visually distinctive. For the long cruise over the Southwest and South, neither side has a decisive advantage, but right-side passengers also get better views of the Sonoran Desert and Texas Hill Country terrain during the middle portion.

During takeoff from John Wayne Arpt Orange Co (SNA), sit on the Right side for the best views. SNA typically departs on Runway 20R heading south before banking left (east). Right side passengers get a clear view of the Pacific Ocean, Newport Beach coastline, and Catalina Island offshore before the aircraft turns inland. Left side faces inland Orange County sprawl during this phase. Notable sights include: Newport Beach/Balboa Peninsula coastline, Santa Catalina Island (26 miles offshore), San Pedro Bay, Palos Verdes Peninsula.

When landing at Charlotte Douglas International (CLT), sit on the Left side for the best views. CLT typically lands on runways 18C/18L/18R (heading south) or 36C/36L/36R (heading north). On approach from the west heading east, left side passengers see uptown Charlotte's skyline clearly as the aircraft descends over the western suburbs. Right side faces undifferentiated suburban sprawl south of the city. Notable sights include: Uptown Charlotte skyline, Lake Norman (north of city), Lake Wylie (southwest), Catawba River corridor.

The flight from John Wayne Arpt Orange Co (SNA) to Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) takes Approximately 4 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours 50 minutes.

After departing coastal Southern California, the route crosses the Sonoran Desert of Arizona (Phoenix visible to the right), then the Rio Grande and West Texas scrublands, followed by the Texas Hill Country, then the piney woods of East Texas and Louisiana, crossing the Mississippi River near Baton Rouge, then the Gulf Coastal Plain of Mississippi and Alabama, and finally the Appalachian Piedmont of Georgia and the Carolinas before descending into Charlotte.